


Liar

by Vetashad



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Tendou Satori Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:54:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25931671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vetashad/pseuds/Vetashad
Summary: Tendou Satori is exceptionally good at reading the subtleties of conversation: the tones, the inflections, the shifts in expression. He knows what others are feeling and thinking whether they tell him or not. Unfortunately, everyone else is really, really bad at it.
Relationships: Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 262





	Liar

**Author's Note:**

> Started this on twitter but it got a little long…first part is there, but the rest!! the real Meat Of The Story, is here
> 
> Find me on Twitter at [@vetashad](https://twitter.com/vetashad)

Tendou Satori is exceptionally good at reading the subtleties of conversation: the tones, the inflections, the shifts in expression. He knows what others are feeling and thinking whether they tell him or not. Unfortunately, everyone else is really, _really_ bad at it.

And, unfortunately, Satori notices. They don’t interpret the subtleties he employs nearly as accurately as he does, if they notice at all. Oftentimes, this leaves his conversations at misunderstandings, or worse, anger and animosity towards him. 

But, he learns. He learns to be overtly expressive, to make it absolutely clear what he means, even if the lost subtlety means he can’t really say what he wants to. But, it’s okay. He’s a different kind of monster now. He’s weird and creepy, but at least they don’t think he’s a jerk anymore.

It’s lonely. Other people have conversations so _naturally_ ; they don’t have to put in the work he does to make sure all his words come off exactly as intended. Sometimes he feels so isolated, feels like he has to do so much more just to be seen as barely even _normal._

Lying in bed at night, Satori often wonders if it’s even worth it to keep doing the work. People don’t return the favor, so why should he keep trying to please them? Why should he keep putting up this persona that says, “I don’t care what you think of me”? Because he _does_ care. It hurts when people don’t read the signs he puts up, don’t quite get him. He’s got a precious few friends since he started doing this in high school. He doesn’t want to lose what he’s never had before. 

It’s lonely when people don’t understand him. It’s lonelier when he has no one to turn to afterwards. So he keeps the overt expressiveness. He keeps the persona. He keeps his friends. For now.

* * *

“You know, Tendou, I never know if anything that comes out of your mouth is serious.” Semi bumped him gently with an elbow, a wide grin on his face. Satori matched the grin.

“Aww, Semisemi, I’m the serious-est person you know! I have never once told a lie in my life. Look it up.” Satori said cheerily. Too cheerily.

Later that night, after Satori had looked over everyone’s math homework as the so-called “resident math whiz,” and had started on a rereading of an old Jump, flopped on the bottom bunk, Wakatoshi, Satori’s best friend, captain, ace, mathematics basket case, roommate, and owner of the bottom bunk, addressed him.

“Tendou?”

“Yeah, Wakatoshi?”

“Earlier when you were talking to Semi, you said you had never told a lie. Is that true?”

Satori dropped the magazine flat on his chest. “If it wasn’t true, then I would just be a serial liar, Wakatoshi!” He laughed, loud and amused.

“But sometimes when you’re talking to other classmates, you tell them you, too, had trouble with certain practice problems for the class when you hadn’t. We did them together.” Wakatoshi’s brow was furrowed. Satori was, admittedly, a little surprised at this turn of conversation. And, at Wakatoshi’s choice of example, out of all the available options.

“I…tell them what they want to hear.” Satori’s voice took on a more somber tone, almost involuntarily.

“Do you do that often?”

Something about this conversation, with Wakatoshi in particular, was making Satori lose his control over his usual mask of expressiveness. It made him feel vulnerable, like an exposed nerve, but also, free, in a way. Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“Every day, Wakatoshi. Every day.” He murmured, running his fingers along the pages of his Jump magazine so that his fingers caught the edges slightly, lifted them, then let them resettle.

“Do you do it to me?” Satori could see that Wakatoshi’s expression was a little guarded now. Satori sat up, setting the magazine next to him on the bed.

Satori felt like he was at a fork in the road. On one hand, he could say _no_ , a lie, but what Wakatoshi wanted to hear. On the other hand, he could say _yes, a few times_ , and risk losing his best friend.

He couldn’t decide. He was taking too long. A moment longer and it would be all too evident a lie was on the tip of his tongue.

“I don’t want you to feel like you can’t be yourself around me, Tendou.” The guarded look was gone. One of concern had replaced it on Wakatoshi’s face.

“I…the truth is…” Satori struggled to find the right words. A bitter amusement filled him. He had lied for so long, it was difficult to tell the truth. But, for Wakatoshi, he would try. “The truth is—” Satori felt a lump rise in his throat, blocking the words.

Tears started to blur his vision. He ground the heels of his palms into his eyes, then took a deep breath and looked into Wakatoshi’s eyes. Eyes full of concern. Eyes that held no ulterior motive in their depths. Eyes Satori could trust.

“Yes. I’ve done it to you. A few times.” Satori paused, then plowed on. “Not nearly as much as I do it to other people. And not for a long time, now, actually. I…I don’t feel like you expect me to say a certain thing. Act a certain way. I feel…safest around you.” Satori broke eye contact to wipe his eyes on his sleeve. It was getting a bit too intense anyway. 

Wakatoshi was silent for a long time. Almost long enough to make Satori think he had made a terrible mistake, telling the truth. Long enough to make Satori glance up again. 

When he did, Wakatoshi was standing right next to him. Satori could have sworn he was across the room, sitting at the desk, when he had looked away.

Wakatoshi cupped Satori’s face, a gesture too intimate for team mates, or roommates, or even best friends. But, it was comforting to Satori. Safe and natural.

“Thank you.” Wakatoshi whispered before drawing his hands away. He moved to return to the desk chair, but Satori jumped up from the bunk and caught Wakatoshi’s sleeve, making him turn again. Satori threw his arms around Wakatoshi’s neck and buried his face in his shoulder, tears falling freely now. There was a pause, a moment where Satori almost thought he had misread and overstepped, before Wakatoshi’s arms, strong and warm, wrapped around Satori. 

Wakatoshi guided both of them back onto the bunk, and held Satori for as long as he cried, rubbing his back and soothing him with soft, gentle words. 

Maybe, Satori thought, maybe he wouldn’t have to be so lonely anymore. 


End file.
